Meditation for the Rest of Us

Many of us discover meditation practice through a friend or acquaintance. Some of us find meditation through other practices such as yoga or karate lessons. We know that meditation is not a new idea - it's been around since the 1960s when we first heard about strange and wild-looking men from the east coming to the US and teaching this thing called meditation. We were afraid of it because it seemed cultish and definitely unacceptable to our mainstream religious beliefs. Of course, we now know that meditation is neither a cult nor counter to most religions.

In Professor Richard Davidson's talk, "Be Happy Like a Monk" we are told that, "Meditation is like the word 'sport'; it comes in many forms and practices." To many people, the question becomes, "which is the right meditation style for me?" The answer to that question lies in the term 'meditation practice'. Like anything else we perfect in life, it takes practice. And, practice means trying various techniques on a regular basis until we find the one that best suits our needs. This can change over time as new ideas are introduced to us, as our bodies age, and as we are met with new experiences.

Lisa Hepner, one of our customers and a meditation teacher in Oregon, was recently interviewed by a television station in her local community. Lisa's website, Project Meditate, offers to help people get started and create a habit of meditation. Her method does not adhere to any specific doctrine of meditation. In fact, Lisa adopts the simplest form of meditation, which is to understand that meditation happens in many moments throughout our day - it doesn't have to be a rigorous and painstaking process. Here is Lisa's television interview:

NOTE: Unfortunately, Lisa's interview is no longer online. However, I encourage you to visit Project Meditate to learn more about Lisa's meditation teaching.

Lisa certainly makes it simple and stress-free to begin a meditation practice.

So, if you are contemplating starting meditation or you are new to meditation, make it easy on yourself. There is no goal to reach and no need to put yourself through a lot of stress. When you begin to achieve some level of satisfaction in your meditation practice simply allow yourself to work on going deeper. When you are ready to make a greater commitment to meditation practice, consider some meditation cushions and a meditation timer. But don't rush yourself and don't run out to get all the equipment you need in one big shopping spree. Take your time, enjoy your meditations, and savor the peace that meditation brings into your life.

Thank you for reading,

Jay

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